Medical Student allegedly molested in Puri, Police probe initiated

Bhubaneswar: A police team met a woman medical student, who had accused policemen of molesting women devotees during 'Sandhya Darshan' of Lord Jagannath at Gundichha Telpme.

Allegedly a victim of molestation by a policeman while visiting the temple with her family members, the student had also slapped him in protest.

A case was registered with the Kumbharpada police station at Puri last night on a direction from the Odisha police headquarters.

"Based on a Facebook post and reports in the electronic and print media on the alleged molestation of a medical student in Puri during darshan of Lord Jagannth, I have directed Dr Sarthak Sarangi, IPS, SP Puri to register an FIR with the Kumbahrpada police station under appropriate sections and get it investigated immediately under his supervision," DGP K B Singh said in an office order.

Though the Puri police had initially said the probe into the allegation would begin after the rituals of Lord Jagannath 'darshan' were completed, DGP Singh has ordered immediate investigation.

"I hope the investigation will reach the final stage by tomorrow. We'll install more CCTV cameras at crowded places to avoid such incidents in future," Singh told reporters.

The Puri police, meanwhile, today formed a three-member team to probe the alleged molestation case. The team led by Kumbharpada police station in-charge, today met the woman at the medical college here where she is pursuing her MBBS degree course and enquired her about the incident.

Her statement was recorded under section 161 of CrPC, the police said.

The alleged victim has also shared her experience on the social media. "Just returning from Puri. I am very very disheartened seeing the scenario there. I didn't want to create a mess there, but I just couldn t control myself.

There were some policemen, touching the private areas of the girls," she said in a Facebook post.

The student said in her post that she lost her patience and slapped a policeman and lodged a complaint with the SP.